Powered lower extremity orthotic devices are being developed in the medical field to allow people with mobility disorders to walk. The device must determine when the user wants to initiate a step by some intelligent method. Many powered orthotic devices currently use a button input or follow the motion initiated by a user who is capable of moving their own leg. However, in the case of exoskeletons for paralyzed individuals, they are unable to initiate the motion independently. Furthermore, their hands may be unable to push buttons due to holding crutches, a walker, or other support device. Therefore, there is a need for a Human Machine Interface (HMI) which interprets natural user motion into actions taken by the powered orthotic. The methods of step initiation and step initiation training disclosed here were developed to give the user of powered orthotic devices independence while safely initiating a step.